Seahawks preseason preview: Which roster spots are still up for grabs vs. Raiders?

Seahawks preseason preview: Which roster spots are still up for grabs vs. Raiders?

We’ve (finally) reached the end of the preseason as the Seattle Seahawks host the Oakland Raiders on Thursday night for their annual exhibition matchup. All starters on both sides will sit this one out, which leaves all of the playing time for the bubble players fighting for roster spots.

I’d bet the coaching staff is pretty set on most of the roster at this point. But for conversation sake, let’s assume the following players are still in need of a big performance Thursday night.

*Projected to be on the roster (on the bubble)*

Geno Smith (Paxton Lynch)

I think Smith would really have to stumble in order to lose the job. Both players will get to play a half. Given that Lynch missed last week’s game with a concussion, Pete Carroll may end up giving him the start.

“They’ve both had their moments, certainly,” Carroll said of the competition to be Russell Wilson’s backup. “They’ve both taken care of the ball really well, which is an important factor, and they can both run the offense. I’m really anxious to get another assessment here, particularly on Paxton.”

John Ursua and Gary Jennings (Malik Turner and Jazz Ferguson)

Ursua should be a lock at this point. He’s passed the eye test and has been the Seahawks most consistent receiver during the preseason with four receptions for 100 yards. Jennings gets the tiebreaker over Turner and Ferguson strictly because he’s a fourth-round pick.

Ferguson has gone quiet since his standout preseason debut against the Broncos where he posted four catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. Turner is still looking for his first catch this preseason. A big game from either might be enough to unseat Jennings. There’s only one spot available between the three of them since David Moore (shoulder) is no longer a short-term IR candidate.

Shaquem Griffin (Ben Burr-Kirven)

Griffin’s knee is back to full strength, and he’s likely to play most of the game against the Raiders. Burr-Kirven simply hasn’t shown enough in order to take Griffin’s spot on the roster. He’s a practice squad candidate if the fifth-round pick doesn’t get claimed elsewhere.

C.J. Prosise and J.D. McKissic (Bo Scarbrough and Travis Homer)

The only thing that can keep Prosise off the roster at this point is another injury. Carroll has stuck with the embattled running back despite his inability to stay healthy. That’s a pretty clear indicator that the Seahawks believe Prosise’s ceiling is worth the injury risk. He was Seattle’s MVP against the Los Angeles Chargers last week with five carries for 32 yards and a touchdown as well as one reception for 15 yards.

I’m still projecting McKissic to be on the roster because he offers a completely unique skill set to the running back room. The final question is whether or not Seattle is able to keep Homer as well. That would most likely mean that the Seahawks would have to cut Nick Bellore and go into the season without a fullback.

Week 2 Preview: 5 Seahawks players to watch vs. Steelers

Week 2 Preview: 5 Seahawks players to watch vs. Steelers

The Seattle Seahawks (1-0) are in pursuit of the franchise’s first 2-0 start since 2013. To get there, they’ll have to ruin the Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) home opener on Sunday at Heinz Field. Seattle’s starting lineup is expected to have changes on both sides of the football.

That’s where we’ll put our focus in this week’s five players to watch.

1. S Lano Hill

The writing has been on the wall for Hill to start since Monday when Pete Carroll said the third-year safety “deserved to play.” Hill started Seattle’s final two games of 2018 – wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Arizona Cardinals – before a hip injury ended his season. Tedric Thompson (hamstring) is doubtful to play against the Steelers, which means Hill will likely start at strong safety with Bradley McDougald moving to free safety. The Seahawks will hope that Hill can provide a spark to a secondary that struggled against the Cincinnati Bengals.

2. LG Mike Iupati

Iupati was active in Week 1 to be used for emergency purposes only. He played one snap after Justin Britt left the game briefly, but other than that, it was Ethan Pocic at left guard. Iupati figures to reassume the starting role now that his foot and calf are fully healthy. The veteran may help stabilize an offensive line that didn’t play well versus Cincinnati, allowing four sacks and paving the way for just 2.9 yards per carry. Britt appears to be fully healthy, and with the addition of Iupati, expect to see a bounce back performance from that group.

3. WR Tyler Lockett

You won’t win many games in the NFL when your best offensive skill player doesn’t get involved until the fourth quarter. The Seahawks were able to escape with a victory last Sunday despite Lockett having just one catch, albeit a 44-yard touchdown. Defenses will continue to key on Lockett, but Seattle can’t allow him to be removed from the game all together. I’m curious to see if Brian Schottenheimer gets Lockett a few easy touches early on to get him going. If the Steelers double Lockett to the degree that the Bengals did, DK Metcalf and Will Dissly will have to step up.

4. DL L.J. Collier/DE Ziggy Ansah

Cheating a bit here but both Collier and Ansah are worth mentioning. I’m really curious to see if one or both will play against Pittsburgh. Collier (ankle) is healthy, but Carroll suggested the team may keep him down on gameday anyway due to a lack of practice time. Ansah practiced in full on Friday but still has the questionable tag. My gut tells me that both will be up on Sunday. However, Seattle has shown that they’re willing to be patient with players.

5. DT Brian Mone

Sticking on the defensive line, Mone is in line for extra work with Poona Ford (calf) listed as doubtful. The undrafted rookie played 26 snaps with three tackles in the opener. That workload could be doubled on Sunday as he'll line up next to Al Woods on base downs.

As anticipated all week, the Seattle Seahawks will carry a hefty injury report into Sunday's matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Here are Seattle's final game designations.

OUT:

- WR David Moore (shoulder)

- C Joey Hunt (ankle)

DOUBTFUL:

- DT Poona Ford (calf)

- S Tedric Thompson (hamstring)

- CB Neiko Thorpe (hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE:

- DE Ziggy Ansah

Takeaways:

- Ansah practiced in full on Friday, but was still given the questionable tag. It feels like a coin flip whether or not he plays. At this point, it's all about how patient Seattle wants to be with him. My guess is that he suits up against the Steelers.

- L.J. Collier is healthy and able to make his NFL debut if the Seahawks want to keep him active on gameday. My guess is we'll see Collier in action.

- Moore praticed well all week and has a good chance at returning in Week 3, according to Carroll.

- If Thompson is out, that means Lano Hill will likely start in his place. Hill would probably play strong safety with Bradley McDougald moving to free safety.

There isn’t an offense in the NFL that’s designed to play from behind the sticks, but there are certainly some that handle it better than others. Brian Schottenheimer noted on Thursday that the Seattle Seahawks are not a team that’s built to recover from losing yards on early downs.

Sacks, penalties and negative runs led to unfavorable down and distances for the Seahawks throughout their Week 1 win against the Cincinnati Bengals. Four sacks allowed and a meager 2.9-yards per carry average limited Seattle to just 232 total yards. Because of those miscues and self-inflicted wounds, Schottenheimer said it was a “really weird game.”

“When we do that we’re not playing at our best level, because we’re not great when we’re behind the sticks,” the team’s offensive coordinator said.

Seattle was balanced for the most part on first down – running 11 times and passing nine times on 1st-and-10 – but the Seahawks averaged just 2.0 yards per carry and 6.44 yards per pass attempt in those situations.

The Seahawks had eight possessions (out of 12) go for 10 yards or fewer. Four went for negative yardage. So although the Seahawks went 4-of-7 on 3rd-and-9 or less, fans at CenturyLink Field voiced their displeasure following multiple lifeless drives.

“We had five (third downs) that were third and 16 plus,” Schottenheimer said. “I mean, shoot, I was over there booing. ‘What are we doing?’ Again, we own it and that’s not the position you want to put yourself in.”

Run plays in those situations are understandable – minimize risk, punt and live to fight another day. No offense is equipped to pick up a first down on 3rd-and-16+. What fans bemoaned, though, were the four run plays called on 2nd-and-10 and the one called on 2nd-and-16+. Those five plays went for a combined seven yards.

So is there a remedy to salvage drives when you get behind the sticks on first down?

“It’s hard. I think that’s one thing that we looked at as a staff this week, maybe some other calls or things that can help us,” Schottenheimer said.

It’s important to give the Bengals some credit. They gave the Seahawks multiple looks that Seattle’s offense was unprepared for. Schottenheimer recalled Dre Kirkpatrick’s sack of Russell Wilson late in the third quarter. Cincinnati called a “double corner cat blitz” on first down that resulted in a 9-yard loss.

“It was a really good blitz,” Schottenheimer said. “It was a better call than what I had on at the time.”

The Seahawks aren’t going to change who they are. I suppose some silver lining to this is that Seattle knows the pitfalls of its own offense. But if its Achilles heel is falling behind the chains, the Seahawks better be productive on first downs if they hope to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2.

As a collective, the Seattle Seahawks were porous at best in pass coverage in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Andy Dalton carved up Seattle’s secondary for 418 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 106.5.

But Shaquill Griffin was a noticeable bright spot. The third-year corner posted three tackles and one pass breakup and earned a 76 grade from Pro Football Focus. Griffin looked sharp, and Dalton spent most of the game throwing to the other side of the field towards Tre Flowers.

“I was very comfortable. That’s the main thing I was looking for coming back in Week 1,” Griffin said. “I wanted to play with instincts, not robotic.”

Griffin’s endurance was also notable. Fatigue had been an issue in previous years, but not so against the Bengals. He credits his offseason weight loss for that added stamina. Griffin said he played last season at 212 pounds. He’s since dropped 18 pounds and is now playing at 194.

“Losing all that weight definitely made a big difference,” Griffin said. “Everything I do now is a lot easier to do – getting into my (back) pedal or coming out of my breaks.”

Corners don’t get the benefit of being in a rotation like receivers. Offenses are always throwing fresh legs at a secondary, which is what prompted Griffin to slim up during the offseason.

“You need to be able to cover someone deep and then run back (to the line of scrimmage) and do it all again,” Griffin said.

He showcased that ability in the second half against the Bengals. Griffin kept up with speedy wideout John Ross deep down the right sideline. He made a diving pass breakup and then hustled back for the next play. An offsides penalty negated the highlight-reel pass breakup, but it still illustrated what Griffin was talking about nonetheless.

Unfortunately for the Seahawks, there weren’t enough plays made in the secondary in Week 1. Notably, Tedric Thompson mistimed his jump late in the first half and allowed a 55-yard touchdown to Ross. In the second half, Flowers committed a costly pass interference penalty in the red zone. In both instances, each player was in the right position to make a play, but they got overeager rather than trusting their technique.

“We all have to be calm. We let some things get behind us, but all those things are fixable,” Griffin said. “It’s little things that we made mistakes on that we can fix ourselves. It’s an easy fix. We just have to be more comfortable and play calm. We need to stay within our rules and make the plays we need to make.”

Griffin did suggest that Seattle’s defense may go back to more normal rotations and personnel packages in Week 2. The Seahawks stayed in base defense more than normal last Sunday because of the unknowns surrounding Zac Taylor’s offense with the Bengals.

We could see more nickel against the Steelers as the secondary will attempt to keep Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster and the rest of the Pittsburgh’s potent passing attack at bay.

Why Russell Wilson went into 'dad mode' in Week 1 vs. Bengals

Why Russell Wilson went into 'dad mode' in Week 1 vs. Bengals

There's been a clip circulating Twitter of Russell Wilson pulling Germain Ifedi out of a scrum during the Week 1 play that resulted in Chris Carson's 10-yard touchdown reception.

Wilson was running to celebrate with Carson in the end zone when he spotted Ifedi on the ground tussling with Cincinnati Bengals defensive lineman Carlos Dunlap. Luckily for us, NFL Films had Wilson mic'd up for the game.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback was asked about playing peacemaker in the second quarter of last Sunday's game.

"It's a very physical game and guys get in tussles and this and that throughout the game," Wilson said. "For me, we just had Chris score, and I didn't want anything to bring it back or any penalties that would hurt us. Ifedi was just trying to play tough there. It was going back and forth. I think I went into dad mode there and saved us from getting a flag."

Wilson's level head is one of his best qualities as a quarterback. You can add "dad mode" to Wilson's long list of attributes that benefits Seattle's offense.

Quinton Jefferson picked the perfect time for the best game of his career. His six-tackle, two-sack performance was pivotal in the Seattle Seahawks 21-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.

Jefferson also had two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and two passes defended. Pete Carroll pointed out that the fourth-year defensive lineman was a half-second away from making a few more impact plays as well.

“No doubt it was fun,” Jefferson said. “My biggest thing is doing it again. You did it once, can you do it again? I’m going out this week, our whole d-line is trying to cause some havoc again.”

If he can put together an encore in Week 2, he’ll be doing so in his hometown. Jefferson, a Pittsburgh native, grew up a diehard Steelers fan. Jefferson admitted he probably still owns a terrible towel somewhere at home – an obligatory keepsake for any childhood Steelers fan.

He also remembers Pittsburgh beating Seattle in Super Bowl XL.

“I remember a (Seahawks) loss. That was a dope game,” Jefferson said laughing. “At the time I was happy the Steelers won, but I hope we get the win this weekend.”

Sunday won’t be the first time Jefferson has played at Heinz Field. His little league team, the Swissvale Flashes, attended a Steelers game and had the opportunity to play on the field during halftime. Jefferson later played a pair of games at Heinz Field in high school. He had two sacks in one of those contests during his senior year.

“I balled out,” Jefferson said. “Hopefully I can do it again.”

Pete Carroll said that he’s already spoken with Jefferson about what to expect on Sunday. It’s a tactic that Carroll commonly utilizes when there are special circumstances surrounding a particular player on a particular game. He did it last week with DK Metcalf prior to the rookie’s NFL debut.

This week it’s Jefferson’s turn. Carroll reminded him to not get too caught up in the adrenaline of playing in his hometown. It’s just another game, Carroll said, and any extra adrenaline could be to Jefferson’s detriment.

“Don’t make sh— up,” Jefferson said, paraphrasing Carroll’s message to him. “Do what you’re coached to do – what we do every day – and we’ll have some fun.”

A win would give Jefferson and the Seahawks a 2-0 start for the first time since 2013 – Seattle’s Super Bowl-winning season. That would make for the perfect homecoming as far as Jefferson is concerned.

Fann Mail: How should you feel about the Seahawks Week 1 win?

USATI

Fann Mail: How should you feel about the Seahawks Week 1 win?

The regular season is off and running and we finally have some real football to digest. The Seattle Seahawks squeaked out a Week 1 win against the Cincinnati Bengals, and there’s plenty to unpack following the narrow victory.

This week’s mailbag focuses on what Seattle showed us and how you should feel going into Sunday’s matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Thanks to all of you who asked questions.

I love this question because it’s easy to get caught up in style points. We all do it, no matter the sport. But all that matters, in Week 1 especially, is that Seattle pulled out the win. Give me an ugly win over a pretty loss all day long. I’m sure the Houston Texans would agree.

The ability to win ugly is important. The Seahawks have shown us for years now that they’re able to make just enough plays to win even when everything seems to go awry. How many times have you seen it? Seattle plays sloppy throughout and then somehow, someway, Russell Wilson has the ball in his hands in a one-score game.

The Seahawks are notoriously slow starters so the fact they are 1-0 after going 0-2 to begin last season is crucial. Tip your cap to the Bengals. Understand that Seattle’s offensive line and secondary need to improve moving forward. But don’t spend too much thought worrying about how last Sunday didn’t “feel” like a win.

What do you think about the O-Line in that game. I think Britt went down but I might be wrong, if he did, how much of a impact do u think it will have to the number of times Wilson is pressure and/or sacked

Speaking of the o-line, that’s the team’s biggest concern at this point. That group is supposed to be one of the Seahawks biggest strengths. Seattle had six drives that went for negative yardage largely because of the offensive line’s inability to create holes in the run game and succeed in pass protection. Wilson was sacked four times, and Seattle averaged just 2.9 yards per carry. That led to the Seahawks constantly playing behind the chains.

Justin Britt had a Pro Football Focus grade of just 28.4. Germain Ifedi was at 50.4 with Duane Brown at 52.3.

That’s not going to work given Seattle’s run-first identity. Pete Carroll expressed his disappointment in this regard during his press conference on Monday.

“We’ll do quite a bit better,” he told reporters assuredly.

Keep an eye on Britt’s health this week because he wasn’t his normal self against the Bengals. He only missed one play after getting dinged up in the first quarter but appeared to be laboring through something.

The Seahawks used nickel defense at a much lower rate than last season, was that game plan related? Do you expect them to use nickel defense more often going forward?

I expect the Seahawks to continue to go with their base defense far more frequently than other teams. The rationale is pretty straightforward: Carroll would rather keep all three starting linebackers on the field than take K.J. Wright or Mychal Kendricks out in favor of a nickel corner.

That should help Seattle maintain its stout play against the run but could open things up more for opponents in the pass game. The “rope-a-dope” mentality (bending but not breaking) could stick around until the Seahawks find a rotation that works.

I’m concerned about the play at safety. When will Blair or Hill take over? Tedric should’ve been cut a long time ago. I wish Seahawks re-signed ETIII.

Carroll said on Monday that Lano Hill deserves a chance to play. Should the Seahawks make a change at free safety and remove Tedric Thompson from the starting lineup, my guess is that Hill will get the first nod. Hill played well before getting hurt in 2018, and Carroll trusts him more than Blair within the defensive scheme.

Who knows if Seattle will in fact swap out Thompson. My gut tells me that Thompson will get another chance to rebound from his Week 1 blunder that allowed John Ross to score a preventable 55-yard touchdown.

Pittsburgh, like Seattle, didn’t play very well at all in Week 1, but instead of playing the Bengals, they got pummeled by the New England Patriots. My thoughts here are similar to how I responded to the first question: It would be unwise to overreact, positively or negatively, to how the Steelers fared last Sunday. Week 2 will be Pittsburgh’s home opener. They’ll look to get JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Connor going early after the offense’s complete power outage against the Patriots.

Seattle’s interest in Antonio Brown offered an important reminder about the Seahawks: Never underestimate John Schneider and Pete Carroll's ultimate faith in “the program.”

Brown’s brief tenure with the Oakland Raiders was an absolute nightmare. The turbulent saga featured (but was not limited to) frostbitten feet, a few practice no-shows, a bizarre helmet grievance, a fine posted on social media and a YouTube video featuring a private call with Jon Gruden. Upon being released, Brown posted another video of him celebrating like he’d just been given parole from a life sentence.

“I’m free,” he exclaimed continuously.

And he was, for a few hours anyway. College football games last longer than Brown’s time as a free agent. He signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots.

While some teams were likely scared away by Brown’s antics in Oakland, clubs like the Patriots, who have an established culture and set of standards, assuredly were not. Brown provided a lottery ticket with Lombardi Trophy-level upside. Worst case scenario is it doesn’t work out, you cut Brown and you’re out a few million bucks – a drop in the bucket for Robert Kraft and other NFL owners.

This is precisely why Seattle also expressed interest in Brown’s services. Carroll confirmed as much on Monday. (Carroll also said they found out quickly that Brown was set on “going to New England,” which leads to a different question and conversation for a different day.)

None of this should surprise you. Seattle’s “always compete” mentality and supreme belief in “the program” allows the Seahawks to take chances on players like Brown.

“We’re involved in everything,” Carroll said. “We’ve been telling you that for a long time. We seriously mean we’re trying to know what’s going on with every opportunity to get better, and if we miss one of those (then) we messed up.”

Seattle’s philosophy is essentially this: If a player can potentially help the Seahawks win games, Carroll and Schneider are going to look into him. That holds true for players with red flags or a checkered past with another team.

It’s why Seattle kicked the tires on Terrell Owens and drafted Bruce Irvin in the first round in 2012. It’s why the Seahawks traded a first-round pick for Percy Harvin in 2013. It’s why they felt comfortable spending a second-round pick on Frank Clark in 2015.

Every player is given a clean slate when they turn onto 12 Seahawks Way in Renton, Wash.

So why on Earth wouldn’t Seattle inquire about a Hall of Fame-caliber receiver, regardless of his baggage? It would have gone against Carroll and Schneider’s DNA not to.

“He’s a great player, (let’s) see what’s going on,” Carroll said of Brown's situation in Oakland. “Not everything is always what it seems. You’ve got to check into stuff and figure out what’s going on. I have confidence in our guys and John and our coaches that we can figure those things out and see what’s best. I don’t mind getting real close to the edge of it and figuring it out.”

“Close to the edge” is a great way of putting it. Because if Brown wasn’t hellbent on joining the Patriots, it may have been the Seahawks who assumed the risk (and potential reward) by signing the embattled wide receiver.

But it was Chris Carson who delivered the most notable quote regarding what Metcalf means to the Seattle Seahawks.

“(He’s) a freak,” Carson said. “He’s going to make freakish plays like that all the time. It’s nothing new. He’s been doing that in practice (and) in training camp. I’m happy for him.”

Carson was referring to Metcalf’s pair of explosive plays against the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday. The first was a 42-yard reception down the right sideline on a go-ball from Russell Wilson. The second was a 25-yard catch down the middle on a broken play.

It was Metcalf’s first experience with Wilson’s patented scramble drill, which is significant because it illustrates the chemistry that already exists between the two. Metcalf ran a short in-cut on the play, but when he saw Wilson evade pressure and step up in the pocket, he got vertical. Wilson lofted a 50/50 ball down the middle, and Metcalf was able to make a sensational leaping catch with a corner on his back and a safety undercutting him.

“We’ve been pounding (the scramble drill) for months during the offseason,” Carroll said. “(That play) was a great illustration. He’s pretty comfortable playing. … You can see why we’re fired up about him.”

Added Wilson: “He fought for the football. It's exciting to for him to come in and make some great plays in the first game. … He looked great tonight.”

If there were any first-game jitters, Metcalf did an admirable job hiding them. Apparently Carroll approached Metcalf pregame to offer a few words of wisdom.

“Remember it’s just another game,” Carroll told the talented rookie prior to kickoff. “It’s still a football, and when it’s in the air, it’s all yours.”

Metcalf still relished the moment, calling his debut “a blessing.” His postgame garb was fitting as well – a blue throwback Steve Largent jersey. Metcalf referred to Largent as “the GOAT receiver in Seattle.”

"Everybody talks about how great of a receiver he was and he never dropped anything so just trying to be like him,” Metcalf said while donning the Hall of Famer’s threads.

And at least for one game, Metcalf can put his name in the same sentence as the Seahawks legend. Metcalf’s 89 yards broke Largent’s franchise record for most receiving yards in an NFL debut (86). Just for fun: Metcalf is on pace for 64 catches and 1,424 receiving yards. Those would be massive numbers, but there’s no reason why Metcalf can’t at least reach the 1,000-yard threshold.

The opportunities (even when David Moore returns) will be there, which means health is the only thing that would stand between Metcalf and a “freakish” rookie season.